The Journal of Comparative Psychology has published a recent study on the strange behavior of killer whales towards humans. Under the leadership of Vanessa Prigollini, Ingrid N. Visser and Jared R. Towers. Visser and Jared R. Towers, “Testing the Waters: Attempts by Wild Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) to Provision People (Homo sapiens)” was published last June 2025. This study covers different events from the coasts of Alaska and Norway to the tropical Pacific of New Zealand and Argentina.
It shows how, from 2004 to 2024, killer whales have approached humans with “rewards”, with the intention of giving without receiving anything in return. There are 34 times that have been counted, including that of Funky Monkey, an orca who repeatedly offered a stingray, placing it on his head as if it were a hat. Despite the novelty and even tenderness that these encounters can generate, experts recommend not to interact with them, as it could pose a risk to both species.
A groundbreaking study
Last June 2025, the well-known Journal of Comparative Psychology published an important study that has turned the world of Marine Biology and Psychology upside down. Entitled “Testing the Waters: Attempts by Wild Killer Whales (Orcinus whale) to Provision People (Homo sapiens)”, the study was led by Ingrid N. Visser, Vanessa Prigollini and Vanessa Prigollini. Visser, Vanessa Prigollini and Jared R. Towers, collects never-before-seen data on killer orcas behavior. It bases its study on different points of the planet, including the waters of Alaska and Norway, reaching the coasts of New Zealand and the Tropical Pacific.
There they were able to observe how killer whales approached humans with the intention of offering them “gifts in the form of dead species. There were 34 such exchanges between 2004 and 2024. Thus, they proposed the following hypothesis: these orcas could be exploring forms of communication and cooperation with humans, motivated by a type of inter-specific altruism that until now was thought to be almost exclusive to humans and certain primates.
What “gifts” did the killer whales bring?
The killer whales would approach with dead animal species in their mouths completely voluntarily, release it a few meters away from the human, and wait for an interaction to occur. If there was no interaction, they would pick up their “gift” and take it back. They mainly carried fish, marine mammals, rays, seabirds or turtles. The most remarkable case happened in New Zealand, where the killer whale nicknamed Funky Monkey repeatedly offered a manta ray to humans. In addition, she wore it on her head in the form of a hat, so it is believed that perhaps she was looking for some kind of interaction.
Are they altruistic or are they analyzing us?
It is nothing new to witness how orcas share food with members of the same group. What is new is this type of interaction with humans. Experts have even considered that they could have what is called “theory of mind”, which is the ability to understand that other species have different thoughts from their own. Until now it had only been attributed to humans, primates, elephants, some birds and dolphins.
Of course, they are not analyzing us, but it is believed that it could be a generalized altruistic behavior. However, this theory still doesn’t quite fit, as it is rare in the animal kingdom. There are researchers who believe that both curiosity and the need for exploration could be drivers of this behavior. This, together with the whales’ high intelligence, could account for their new behavior.
What should we do?
Although these are novel and tender encounters, experts recommend not to interact with them. Although they may appear to be harmless gestures, this interaction could pose a risk to both species.
